Figure 2
Distribution of Respondents to Pew Poll
Liberal
Populist
(18%)
(16%)
Ambivalent
(42%)
Conservative
Libertarian
(15%)
(9%)
Social Liberalism
Based on responses to 6 questions: 3 dealing with role of government in the economy and social welfare issues, and 3
dealing with social issues.
Source: Pew Research Center, "In Search of Ideologues in America," April 11, 2006, http://pewresearch.org/obdeck
/?ObDeckID=17.
als, conservatives, middle-of-the-roaders, and
as liberal, conservative, libertarian, or pop-
"don't knows."25
ulist. Other polls provide sufficient data to
allow us to perform such calculations our-
In April 2006 the Pew Research Center
selves.
issued an analysis of data from its December
2004 survey of 2,000 people.26 Researchers used
In all of these calculations, we use a broad
definition of libertarian. We include both indi-
three questions on economic issues--govern-
viduals who would self-identify as libertarian
ment health insurance, government regulation,
and individuals who hold libertarian views but
and private retirement accounts for Social
may be unfamiliar with the word. It is clear that
Security--and three social issues--gay marriage,
many people who hold libertarian views don't
banning books in school libraries, and govern-
self-identify as libertarians. One Rasmussen
ment promotion of morality. They then sorted
poll found that only 2 percent of respondents
respondents into the four categories based on
characterized themselves as libertarians, even
their answers to those questions. Their results
though 16 percent held libertarian views on a
are shown in Figure 2.
series of questions.24 Similarly, two polls con-
They found only 9 percent libertarians, a
lower number than most surveys found. It
ducted by the Opinion Research Corporation
should be noted that Pew found a high number
for the Clark for President Committee in 1980
of respondents who couldn't be categorized, so
found that only 1 percent of respondents
the libertarians are actually 15.5 percent of
described themselves as libertarians. After they
those respondents who could be categorized
were read a definition of libertarianism, they
Many people who
(the 58 percent who are not "ambivalent"), still
were asked again "do you consider yourself lib-
hold libertarian
the smallest ideological group. The small num-
eral, conservative, libertarian, or middle-of-the
ber may also reflect Pew's inclusion of the issues
road?" This time 10 percent of the public aged
views don't
of guaranteed health insurance and gay mar-
1840 and 12 percent of the total public (in
self-identify as
riage, two topics on which libertarian views are
separate surveys) declared themselves libertari-
libertarians.
currently a smaller minority than on many
ans. The gains came almost equally from liber-
8